Conventional beverage cans such as aluminum, tin or steel cans are commonly used to package and contain a variety of carbonated, noncarbonated, and alcoholic and nonalcoholic liquid beverages. Examples of beverages or other consumables that are packaged in beverage cans include carbonated and noncarbonated soda, pop, fruit juice, water, mixers, alcoholic beverages such as beer and wine, and other consumable and even sometimes non-consumable liquids.
FIG. 1 provides an illustration of a typical conventional metallic beverage can 100. A typical beverage can container holds twelve fluid ounces of a liquid such as beer, juice or soda. Conventional can dimensions include heights, diameters and subtle features of the can such as tapering near the top vary and depend often on vendor choice, branding and marketing requirements. Details of the construction of a typical conventional modern beverage can are disclosed in an article/paper entitled “The Aluminum Beverage Can”, written by William F. Hosford and John L. Duncan that was published in the September 1994 issue of Scientific American Magazine, copyright 1994 by Scientific American, Inc. The entire contents of this paper is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. This paper shows various example details of conventional beverage can construction.
In FIG. 1, the typical beverage can 100 includes a can body 105 and a lid or can top 120 (as used herein, the term “can top” refers to a can lid used to cover a beverage can). The body 105 is formed from a piece of continuous metal such as aluminum alloy or steel or other metal that is drawn, ironed, extruded, stretched, pressed, molded, stamped or otherwise shaped into a cylindrical shape to form the body 105. The above referenced paper provides details on one example process of forming the can body or housing a cold forming and ironing process. Once formed, the can housing or body 105 includes a lower end 108 and an upper end 109. The lower end 108 typically tapers slightly inwards to form a base or bottom portion 106 of the can that typically tapers inwards at its lowermost end and is smaller in diameter at it base (the portion contacting a surface when the can is upright in position) than a middle area of the body 105. In many conventional can body designs, the upper end 109 or neck of the body 105 tapers slightly inward at a top of the body 105 and terminates at an upper body edge 110. The cylindrical-shaped outer surface of the body 105 typically includes decoration that provides a label on the metallic surface of the body that identifies a brand of liquid as well as the contents, ingredients, manufacturer of liquid contained within the can 100 and other information.
The can 100 shown in FIG. 1 is fully assembled, filled with liquid contents and “sealed”. Sealing the can is a process performed during a bottling or canning process when a manufacturer affixes a can top 120 to the upper body edge 110 after placing liquid contents into the can body 105. In a conventional canning/bottling/seaming process, a canning machine (not shown in this figure) dispenses liquid into the body 105 and thereafter the same or a different machine affixes the can top 120 to the upper body edge 110 by crimping, seaming or pinching a peripheral edge 121 of the can top 120 around the upper body edge 110, thus forming an airtight and liquid-tight seal between the can top 120 and the body 105. This seam is sometimes referred to as a double seam and forms the rim at the top of the can. Manufacturers may make and sell can tops 120 and bodies 105 as separate individual items that are then combined as generally explained above during the canning process by a canning/bottling company or beverage/liquid manufacturer to form the can 100 as shown in FIG. 1.
Prior to canning or bottling, a conventional can top 120 (for example as shown in FIG. 1 sealed onto the can 100) is formed using a can top press, chuck and/or mold(s) that stamp, roll, press or otherwise form a piece of metal such as aluminum alloy or steel into the desired shape of the can top 120. Once formed, a conventional can top 120 includes a central panel area or upper surface 129 that provides a top or exterior side and that has an underside facing into the can (not shown in FIG. 1) opposite the upper surface 129 of the can top 120 (i.e. the underside of the can top is exposed to the liquid contents contained within the can 100). The upper surface 129 of the can top 120 is substantially flat in some conventional can designs, and in other designs the upper surface 129 may have a slight curvature, domed or arced shape with a center region being slightly higher in elevation than a outer peripheral upper surface edge. The conventional can top 120 also includes a tab 115 affixed via a tab connector 116 to the upper surface 129 of the can top 120. The tab connector 116 may be a rivet or spot weld located at or near a center region of the can top 120. The tab 115 includes a lifting end 118 and a leveraged end 119. The leveraged end 119 of the tab 115 is aligned over an openable section 124 defined by a breakaway seam 123 on the can top 120. The openable section is commonly a circular or oval shaped region defined on the upper can top surface by being pressed, punched, scratched or etched into the upper surface 129 of the can top 120. This openable section 124 includes a breakaway seam 123 in the upper surface 129 of the can top. The tab 115 and openable section 124 allow a person to open the can 100 to dispense (e.g. drink or pour into a container) the liquid contents of the beverage can 100. Upon opening, the tab 115 remains affixed to the can top to minimize debris or garbage produced by cans that are sold and opened by consumers.
To open the can 100, a person (not shown) inserts a fingertip, fingernail or other prying device under the lifting end 118 of the tab 115 (between the lifting end 118 and the upper surface 129 of the can top 120) and applies an upward or lifting force to the lifting end 118 of the tab 115 up and away from the upper surface 129 of the can top 120. In response to the raising the lifting end 118 in this manner, the tab 115 pivots at the tab connector 116 and the leveraged end 119 applies a downward force against the openable section 124 causing the openable section 124 to be forced downwards into the can housing 105 relative to the upper surface of the can top 120. When enough force is applied, the openable section 124 breaks away from the can top 120 along the breakaway seam 123 and bends downwards and inwards into the inside of the can 100. After opening the can 100 in this manner, the tab 115 remains fixed to the top surface 129 via the rivet 116 and the openable section 124 remains connected to the can top 120 via a small region of the upper surface 129 of the can top that remains connected between the upper surface 129 and the openable section 124 (that is now depressed or bent down into the can body 105). That is, the openable section 124 remains attached to the can top 120 since the breakaway seam 123 does not completely surround the openable section 124. In this manner, the openable section 122 and tab 115 do not break off completely from the can top 120 and avoid becoming loose in the liquid contents of the can 100.
Once the conventional can 100 has been opened by a person in this manner, a person is able to dispense liquid contents from the can 100 by tipping or tilting the can 100 sideways from its upward position toward the openable section 124 (that now provide a hole in the can) in order to pour liquid from the “now open” openable section 124. The person may dispense the liquid contents of the can 100 into another beverage container such as a glass, cup, bowl or the like, or quite frequently the person may drink directly from the can 100 using his or her mouth.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,065,634 discloses some examples of conventional can top designs and also teaches and shows details of machinery to securely seal a can top to a can body using conventional techniques. This patent further shows details of an example seam between a can and can top. The entire teaching and contents of this reference patent are hereby incorporated herein by reference.